Chapter 48 Happy End!
"Why do you have that...? That envelope should be with the lord by now."
Kaine said in a high-pitched voice.
The other day, Kaine had asked a passing maid to take an envelope containing his resignation letter to the post office.
He clearly remembered mixing it in with other mail to avoid suspicion.
So why on earth was that envelope in Rhiannon's hands? Kaine had no idea.
Holding Kaine's resignation letter, Rhiannon laughed heartily.
"Oh my, what a great reaction! It was the right call to put on a show."
"My lady...!?"
Kaine looked taken aback.
Rhiannon smiled brightly, seizing the moment.
"You think you can outsmart me? I already predicted that Kaine would try to leave my side!"
"Wha..."
"You always acted first to outsmart Sarah, right? I thought I'd try to learn from that."
"My lady, you're learning...!?"
"What, are you saying I don't have the ability to learn!? ...Anyway, I'm smart, so I preemptively bribed the maids!"
Rhiannon had anticipated that if Kaine were to submit his resignation, he would send it to Rhiannon's father, who was easier to persuade than Rhiannon herself.
That's why Rhiannon had instructed the maids to hand over any letters from Kaine to her first.
Kaine's eyes widened in surprise at the unexpected revelation.
"I suspected something was off, but I never thought you would do something like that... You really are clever."
"How rude of you to say that now! They call me useless and foolish, but I can do at least this much!"
Rhiannon said this as she ripped Kaine's resignation letter in half vertically in one swift motion.
In front of a stunned Kaine, she tore it again horizontally, and then once more vertically, shredding it into tiny pieces.
After that, Rhiannon casually threw the confetti-like scraps into the air.
The remnants of the resignation letter fluttered between Rhiannon and Kaine like paper snow.
"Oh dear, how rude of me. My hand just slipped! It seems there was a signature from Kaine on that document, but what was it for again?"
"Isn't this just cruel!?"
"Say whatever you like. I was just imitating some butler or another."
With a sudden shift from her earlier triumphant smile, Rhiannon glared at Kaine with her sharp, slanted eyes.
"I absolutely won't allow you to just leave without consulting me first."
"My lady..."
"First of all, if you were going to look that sad, then... please don't do something like this in the first place!"
Rhiannon shouted in a hysterical voice, tears welling up in her eyes.
To be honest, she had been unsure about what to do with Kaine's resignation letter right up until Kaine entered the room.
If Kaine had looked refreshed, she wouldn't have intended to stop him.
It would have hurt her a bit, but she planned to silently see him off.
But what was the reality? The loneliness and sadness in Kaine's golden eyes as he announced his resignation were overwhelming.
Even Rhiannon, staring into those eyes, felt a painful ache in her heart.
Seeing that, Rhiannon made a firm resolution.
──No matter what, she would stop Kaine.
"If you want to quit, then hit me once before you go!"
For a moment, Kaine was stunned, but after lightly touching his eyelid, he opened his mouth.
"There's no way I would hit you, my lady. ...But did I really look that sad?"
"Yes. You looked like a puppy abandoned in an alley."
"Honestly, my lady, your intuition is quite troublesome... I thought I was used to hiding my emotions..."
"Not everyone has good intuition. It's just that I understand because I like Kaine."
As soon as she said that, large tears spilled from Rhiannon's eyes.
"I... I really do like Kaine. I want you to be by my side forever."
Rhiannon murmured through her sobs.
Kaine wore a crumpled smile, as if on the verge of tears.
"Ah, come on... It's always been like this. I can't compete with a lady like you."
Kaine set down the large bag he was holding and approached Rhiannon with long strides.
Rhiannon noticed a faint hint of relief in the depths of Kaine's eyes.
(Ah, I'm glad I stopped him. It seems I wasn't wrong...)
Just as she felt relieved, Rhiannon suddenly realized she was being hugged.
The citrusy scent of Kaine's perfume and the clean smell of soap tickled Rhiannon's nostrils.
"K-Kaine!?"
"Is it okay for me to be by your side?"
Whispered softly in her ear, Rhiannon let out a silent scream.
"──Hya, ...of course! Kaine, you're the only one for me. Don't leave me behind and go anywhere!"
"If you say such cute things, I'll stick with you forever. I might even scare off any rich man. ──If I'm by your side, you might end up unhappy, just like in a past life, again..."
Kaine said this and hesitantly pulled away.
His golden eyes wavered with uncertainty.
In front of such a Kaine, Rhiannon smiled.
"So you were trying to distance yourself for such a foolish reason. Honestly, I worried for nothing."
"F-Foolish!?"
"You're such a big fool, Kaine! After being together for so long, you still don't understand anything?"
Rhiannon elegantly brushed her long, milk tea-colored hair aside.
"Kaine, listen well. You've never made me unhappy, not even once. I'm sure that even in a past life, I never thought Kaine made me unhappy."
"...!"
"Sarah was exiled, but I managed to survive. However, from now on, there's no guarantee that things will be completely safe, right? As you know, I tend to raise doom flags immediately. So, Kaine has to stay by my side."
"But, is it really okay for me to be by Lady Rhiannon's side?"
"Why are you so unsure at such a crucial moment? Sure, Kaine is often nagging, very particular about manners, sneaks in my least favorite vegetables into my snacks, and can be quite sarcastic, but──."
"──you really do say some harsh things."
"Be quiet and listen until I'm done!"
Covering her mouth, Rhiannon cleared her throat.
"I don't think anyone can make me happier than Kaine. So, please stay with me forever... if possible, as my partner."
"Me, Lady Rhiannon's partner...?"
"Why are you looking so surprised? I told you before. If I could be with you, I would be the happiest person in the world, or something like that... It wasn't a smart confession, but those words were true. First of all, without Kaine, I would definitely be on the path to doom. Because Sarah was trying to trap me with incredible determination... Ah, I'm losing my train of thought! Anyway, just respond if you understand!"
"But..."
"Kaine, right now, I won't accept any answer other than 'yes' or 'I understand'."
"That's quite selfish of you..."
Kaine let out a big sigh as if resigning, then looked down at the scattered resignation letters on the floor, which could only be described as trash.
"──Honestly, who do you think will clean up this mess? You're just increasing my workload, what a troublesome person."
"Kaine..."
"...I understand, my lady. I vow to be by your side at all times from now on. However, no matter how much you say you dislike it, I will never leave you."
"...Yes, of course. Kaine, never leave me for the rest of your life!"
Rhiannon wore a bright smile and energetically hugged Kaine.
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